


(i’m not in love with) my best friend

by dancinghopper



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Unrequited Love, this is drabbly and Not Good but who cares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 05:52:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16112180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancinghopper/pseuds/dancinghopper
Summary: ”It’s a couples weekend,” she tells Cheryl, pretending not notice how her face falls. “Sorry.”Cheryl blinks at her, and clasps her hands behind her back. “Oh.”Then she shrugs, red lips stretching into a grin. “Not to worry. Have fun.”Veronica turns back to Archie.prompt from bashqzx: i just really wanna see a jealous veronica staring at cheryl and toni





	(i’m not in love with) my best friend

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this ages ago and always intended on adding to it/making it better but i don’t think that’s gonna happen.... so have this i guess!!! love my og gay gals

Toni’s standing in front of her with her hands on her hips and an accusation on her lips, and Veronica wonders, suddenly, why she hadn’t noticed Cheryl’s social media absence. She chews on her nail and asks herself why Toni Topaz, of all people, has. Sure, Toni made the cheer team, but Veronica hadn’t realised her and Cheryl were actually friend-friends. She’d thought it was a power play thing. Obviously, she was wrong. But now Toni’s asking for her help and saying Cheryl’s in trouble, so Veronica agrees and tries not to think about how their roles should be reversed.

***

Veronica’s running through hallways and still half-dealing with the fact that _Cheryl likes girls_ , and it feels like she’s back on Sweetwater River, and Cheryl’s disappearing into the bright white snow never to be seen again. Her sneakers skid on the highly polished floors as she sees nuns, and _shit, they’re so screwed._ She turns back and runs in Toni’s direction until she finds an open door, because they have to _get out_ and - oh.

“Cheryl,” she finally says, and it feels like a goodbye, because Toni’s hand are on her face, her neck, her waist. “Toni. We gotta go.”

***

Afterwards Kevin’s driving her home and Veronica’s trying not to think about the fact that Cheryl barely let go of Toni’s hand since they found her, and she’s truing not to think about the fact that Jughead’s trailer only has one bed so Toni’s Grandad’s is probably the same, which means Toni and Cheryl are probably pressed close together right now, all hands and legs and soft warmth. She’s definitely not thinking that this shouldn’t even matter because she loves Archie, not Cheryl, so what’s she so bent out of shape for?

Now, though - now she’s lying in bed and all she can think about is the fact that six months ago Cheryl was wrapped in this very blanket because she’d tried to kill herself, and six months ago her and Cheryl were friends, and two months ago she called her _fascist barbie_.

*** 

“Veronica,” says Cheryl, and her heart skips a beat, “Can I talk to you?”

Veronica jumps up, and she’s not thinking about the fact that Cheryl’s wearing Toni’s clothes. That Cheryl spent the night. That Cheryl’s _wearing Toni’s clothes_.

“Of course.”

Veronica links arms with her and steers her to a more private area of the common lounge, somewhat thrilled that they’re back on confiding-terms, and maybe (maybe) back on track to being friends.

“Toni and I -“ and Veronica thinks, _oh, oh, oh_ “Want to start a campaign to shut down that truly archaic hospital. I wondered if you’d help?”

Veronica looks at the boots on her feet and the rings on her fingers and the way Cheryl’s practically _oozing_ happiness despite having just been locked up in an asylum for a week, and she smiles through the unfortunate clenching of her stomach. She’s good at it.

“I’d love to.”

***

It doesn’t surprise Veronica that Penelope Blossom is a Grade A bitch - as if giving your daughter conversion therapy wasn’t enough - so she’s already half out of her seat and ready to fight when Kevin says Cheryl’s down by the bleachers. She’s already thinking through what to say and a selfish part of her is already thinking about whether maybe she’ll hug her, but of course it’s Toni - _Toni Toni Toni_ \- who’s already left, braids swinging behind her, and Veronica stares at her empty seat and wonders where it all went wrong.

***

(after)

Veronica stops thinking about Cheryl. Not in a _we don’t talk anymore_ way, just in a _you’ve got a girlfriend and i sort of think i love you_  way. Archie has his arm round her, which is nice, and she’s leaning against his shoulder, which is also nice, and across the cafeteria Cheryl and Toni are doubled up on themselves laughing because Cheryl has two twizlers sticking out of her mouth like fangs. Veronica is looking at them, and she’s wondering what it is about the red leather on her shoulders that suits her so well, and what it is about Toni laughing that makes her look so _happy_ , so _proud_. And maybe it was timing, maybe Cheryl wasn’t _ready_ yet for whatever her and Toni have, or maybe it was Veronica’s fault for never caring enough about Cheryl in the face of her dad. Maybe she just never looked close enough.

And it’s not fair, really, to blame herself for all of it. She had her own things going on, and maybe she shouldn’t have fallen for Cheryl’s _I’m_ _fine_ act, but she did and she can’t change that. But it’s - it’s hard to know that if she’d been a little bit more aware, of both Cheryl and herself, maybe they would have -

Maybe they might have -

Veronica shuts off the train of thought. It isn’t worth anything. Fighting a headache, she presses harder into Archie’s shoulder.

Cheryl’s pearly laughter rings in her ears.

**Author's Note:**

> xx


End file.
